X-Mas Night
by Harmne
Summary: A shortcut and a snowdrift leave Mulder stranded on the way home Christmas night. (Another oldie dusted off for the holiday.) Rated M. Complete


_Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully and the X-Files are the property of Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions, and Fox Television Network and are used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. The character of Anna Leone and 'the rest of the story' are mine. _

Summary: A shortcut and a snowdrift leave Mulder stranded on the way home Christmas night. Rated M to be safe.

_A/N: Another oldie, unearthed from my hard drive and dusted off for the holiday, slightly re-edited._

…xXx…xXx…xXx…xXx…xXx…xXx…xXx…

**X-Mas Night **

Anna Leone looked out the window, watching the snow fall through the darkness. After a few minutes she sighed and let the curtain fall back into place. It was Christmas night and she was alone. Her Christmas tree, lights twinkling brightly, still stood in front of the living room bay window decorated with all the ornaments she'd made and collected over the past few years. She loved Christmas. And she was used to being alone. But tonight- it would have been nice if there was someone special to share tonight with her.

She'd spent part of the day with friends and had eaten Christmas dinner with them early in the afternoon. Shortly afterward it had started snowing, softly but steadily with large flakes that were accumulating rapidly. The gathering broke up quickly; the others had long drives ahead and no one wanted to risk getting stranded. Anna had offered to stay and help clean up since she lived close and drove a four-wheel drive, but they'd shooed her out the door, too. Now her own supper was simmering in the kitchen and she'd been struck with uncharacteristic restlessness.

_I have new movies I can watch, and a wide range of new books,_ she thought. _Why can't I settle down?_

Finally she decided it was because she felt Christmas wasn't quite over. The unpredicted snowstorm had ended things far too soon. But there was no reason she couldn't have a special evening by herself.

…xXx…xXx…xXx…

Mulder swore to himself as he tried his cell-phone one more time. Outside the car it was snowing hard, creating a wall of white penetrated only a few yards by the car's headlights – far enough for him to have seen the snowdrift, but not far enough to avoid plowing into it. The car was now buried to its fenders in the drift, resisting all his efforts to break it free, and to top it all off his cell-phone seemed to be malfunctioning.

_One of these days, Mulder, you're going to learn not to take shortcuts,_ he berated himself. _Just stick to the maps. It'll save you trouble in the long run._ But the promise of an hour saved on the trip back from his mother's house had proved too irresistible and he'd decided to try it. He had only wanted to get back to his apartment, back to normal - well, what passed for his normal - life. The visit with his mother had been uncomfortable for both of them and he'd seized the excuse of the storm to leave early. And now he was sitting in the middle of nowhere stuck in a snowdrift.

There was no way out of it, he was either going to have to sleep in the car or attempt to walk to the nearest house to call for help. He could see glimpses of lights through breaks in the snow. They didn't look too far away, just to the left from the crossroads where the car was stuck. He decided to walk.

It took only a few minutes for him to realize he wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion. His shoes were made for suits and offices, not trudging through snow, and his feet were soaked and freezing in very short order. The fine wool of his suit was plenty warm in ordinary circumstances but offered little resistance to the biting wind. At least his coat was warm, and its length gave his legs a little protection. He buttoned it up to his neck and tugged the collar up around his ears, then shoved his hands into his pockets. He wished he hadn't misplaced his gloves. Well, not precisely misplaced. Actually he knew exactly where they were...they were in Scully's car. Not that that helped.

The lights were a little more visible now, though they were farther away than he'd originally thought. They seemed to be Christmas lights strung around a house. He could make out the dim outline of another house closer, just off the road to his right. He'd try it first. Maybe he'd get lucky.

…xXx…xXx…xXx…

Anna started a fire in the fireplace, something she really enjoyed but had gotten out of the habit of doing for herself. For a few moments she stayed where she was, kneeling at the hearth, and let her eyes wander around the familiar room. Not much had changed in it since she was a child. She'd hoped moving back to her family's home would ease the pain of losing them in a freak plane crash, and to some degree it had. But she'd forgotten how isolated it could be without her sister for company. Jill, five years her junior, would have been nearly twenty-five now, probably would have been married... A sharp pop from the fireplace dragged Anna's attention back to reality. Seeing the kindling had caught nicely, she added a few splits of apple wood and closed the screen.

She was still wearing her dark red dress from the earlier gathering. Made of soft knit, it was as comfortable as it was pretty, with a swingy skirt that skimmed her calves. The long honey-colored braids that had been circling her head like a coronet all day had been taken loose, the crinkled hair pulled away from her face with a headband. With the long dangling earrings of polished crystal Jill had once given her brushing against the side of her neck, Anna decided she looked like a New Age gypsy. Just as well no one else would see her tonight!

In the living room, scented candles burned on the tables and mantle. Between the tree, the fire, and the candles there was no need for any other lighting. Soft music from her favorite CDs played in the background. She set the small dining room table with a dark green cloth, china and crystal, enjoying the soft feel of her skirt against her legs as she moved around the room. Her red leather flats were nearly silent on the hardwood floor as she gathered several small candles into a large shallow crystal bowl for a centerpiece. The small chandelier above the table was on a dimmer, turned down, so she left it on.

The doorbell chimed as she was lighting the last candle, nearly startling her into dropping the match. Shaking it out, she frowned, then crossed the living room to the window next to the door.

The snow had gotten a lot deeper, she noticed. A drift now covered her porch steps except where someone had walked through it, and there was a man standing on her porch.

Moving slightly to get a better angle, she looked toward the driveway. The Christmas lights that outlined the house provided plenty of light, but there was no car in the drive...or on the road beyond that she could see. Where had he come from?

Well, it was far too cold to leave anyone outside in the snow. She opened the door and looked at the dark-haired young man through the grill of the storm door. There was snow in his hair, on the shoulders of his long dark coat, even on his eyelashes. He looked wet and frozen. There was a hopeful look on his boyish face.

"I was hoping there was someone home," he said. "My car is stuck in a drift back at the crossroads." He pointed back over his shoulder vaguely, and Anna's eyebrows went up. The crossroads was two miles away- he'd walked all that way in the snow? "I was hoping I could use your phone to call a tow truck. For some reason my cellphone doesn't work, and I haven't been able to find anyone else at home."

Anna knew the other two families that lived on the road had gone away for the holidays-and for some geographic reason, cellphones and some radios didn't work well in the valley where the roads met. One of her friends had tried to explain but it had gone over her head. She smiled at the man sympathetically and opened the door.

"Come in," she invited. "There's a phone in the living room, and you probably need to thaw out, too." He stepped inside and hesitated in the tiled entry. "Let me take your coat," she offered. When all that snow started melting it would start to drip. Her welcoming smile faltered, however, when in the act of shrugging off his overcoat his suit coat gaped open to reveal a glimpse of a holster. He was wearing a gun!

He must have seen her stiffen because in almost the same motion he pulled a leather ID case from his pocket. "My name is Fox Mulder," he said, holding the opened case out to her. "I'm an agent with the FBI."

The ID said _Special Agent_. The photo was clearly the same man, same boyish face with the serious-almost sad-expression, same green-hazel eyes and dark hair. Anna smiled again, this time in apology.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Mulder. I just don't see many guns."

"Nothing to apologize for," he said with a smile. "I'm just so used to it sometimes I forget it isn't part of the suit."

"My name's Anna Leone," she said as she offered her hand. He took it . He had a nice handshake but his hand was like ice. She took his wet coat and pointed him into the living room. "Go on in by the fire and warm up. The phone is right there on the end table."

She gave the heavy coat a shake to dislodge as much snow as possible. As she hung it on the hall tree she caught a faint scent of cologne mingled with the smell of damp wool, an enticingly masculine scent. She sniffed again, then caught herself. Okay, so it had been a while - a long while - since she'd been with a man. That didn't mean she had to make a fool of herself. The FBI man was gorgeous, true, but if he saw her sniffing his coat he'd think she was a nut! With a rueful smile at herself she joined him in the living room. He was replacing the receiver on her phone.

"The line is dead." he said.

Anna grimaced. "I shouldn't be surprised. The local lines are above-ground, and with this much snow... Do you have your cellphone with you? It might work here." She briefly attempted to explain the problem with the valley. He took the phone from his jacket pocket and tried it, then looked almost surprised when he did get through. Obviously he had expected the worst. However, within minutes he was connected to a local wrecker service and was trying to explain where his car was stuck.

"...Yes, highway 57. No, I think I passed there...wait a minute." He turned to Anna for help. "Can you tell me where my car is? I didn't look at the signs at the junction, and I'm not even sure which town I last passed."

Anna gave him the intersection's name, which he repeated to the dispatcher, then he listened for a few moments with a serious look on his face. He motioned for her to come closer, and when she did, hesitantly, he put the phone on speaker and held it out a little so she could hear, too. Standing close to him was a little distracting, though, and it took her a minute to understand what she was hearing.

"...the plows are pretty much all tied up trying to keep the interstate halfway clear and we already have so many towing calls stacked up it'll be morning at least before anyone can get out there, and that's if the plows have made it that far by then..." the dispatcher sounded as if he was running on high speed, possibly due to caffeine overload. "We'll get someone there as soon as we can, but I'll have to be honest and tell you it can't be before morning. Give me the phone number and address where you are and I'll have the driver come get you when he gets your car out." Mulder sighed resignedly, recited his cell-phone number and the address Anna gave him, and hung up.

"I don't suppose there's a motel just down the road?" he said with a forced smile as Anna took a step back. He looked uncomfortable.

"The nearest motel is in town, about 20 miles away," she said. "But the way it's snowing I wouldn't want to try to get you there." Anna smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid you're stuck here for the night, Mr. Mulder. I have a guest room you're welcome to use."

"Thank you, Ms. Leone. I appreciate your hospitality. I just hate to spoil your plans." Anna gave him a blank look and he made a brief, expressive gesture encompassing the candlelit room. "It looks like you're expecting company."

Anna suddenly realized how her private little celebration plans must look, and felt her face warming even as she shook her head in denial. "No, this was just for me. I love Christmas," she shrugged as she tried to explain, "I was just trying to make it last a little longer." The man relaxed slightly, and in the kitchen a timer dinged. "Dinner is almost ready, Mr. Mulder. Are you hungry?"

"I'm always hungry. Especially when I've had fresh air and exercise." Mulder's dry tone and the expression on his face made Anna laugh, which seemed to put him more at ease. He smiled slightly and shifted his weight and Anna caught the telltale squish of wet leather. She frowned at his feet, only then realizing he was wearing soaked dress shoes, and his slacks were dark with moisture to above his knees.

"You're soaked! Your feet are probably frozen, aren't they," she exclaimed. "You need to get out of those wet things. Let me see- I think there are some things in the guestroom that might fit you. A friend did some painting for me and left a change of clothes behind." She headed down the short hall to the first door on the right, leaving Mulder to follow on his own. "They may have paint on them, but at least they're clean and dry. Here they are."

Mulder found her pulling a pair of black sweatpants out of a bureau drawer, followed by a paint-spattered gray T-shirt with the sleeves cut out and a thick pair of gray tube socks. He stood just inside the bedroom door, looking a little bemused. Anna went on, "There's a bathroom just through there," she gestured toward a door on the other side of the bed. "There should be plenty of hot water and there are towels on the shelf. Look in the vanity drawer for anything else you need." When she looked up, Mulder was looking down at his wet legs.

"Thank you, Ms. Leone. Again."

"Anna. Call me Anna. There's no hurry, Mr. Mulder, take your time and get warmed up. Come on out to the living room when you're ready." And she left, shutting the door gently behind her.

Mulder stood gazing toward the door for a few moments, then shook his head and shrugged off his jacket. She was right, his feet and legs were frozen and beginning to burn as they started to warm up. His hands were not much better. And wet wool clinging to his legs was not his favorite sensation. He dropped his jacket on the bedspread and then his shirt, leaving them both on the bed before heading into the bathroom. There he laid his holstered gun on the vanity and stripped off the rest of his clothes, hanging them over the towel bars to dry before turning on the shower as hot as he could bear. A few minutes under the strong hot spray warmed his chilled body and did wonders for his mood. Taking a towel from the stack to dry himself, he regarded his dripping clothes dolefully. Even his boxers were snow-damp as a result of the falls he'd taken.

He opened the drawer in the vanity and smiled at the hodgepodge assortment of items it contained. All sorts of trial-size products were jumbled in together, unopened as far as he could tell. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors – pink _and_ blue – various types of soaps and shampoos... Just about anything an unexpected guest might need, right down to pain relievers. He wrapped the towel around his waist, found a comb and ran it through his damp hair, then went back into the bedroom to get dressed.

The sweatpants were a little too big but there was a drawstring at the waist. He sat down on the edge of the bed to pull on the socks. The shirt with missing sleeves didn't appeal at all, not with the well-remembered icy wind still howling outside. He put his white dress shirt back on, rolling his sleeves up a little instead of buttoning the cuffs. Well, that was as much as he could do. He might look strange, but he had to admit he felt much better.

It felt a little odd to be running around sock-footed in a strange woman's house. But when he reached the kitchen, Anna's grin made him feel welcome.

"Would you like some wine?" she asked, holding up her own glass and pointing to the glass and bottle on the counter. "As soon as I get this dish on the table we're ready to eat." She added the glass-covered casserole to another of rice already on the table.

He didn't recognize the dish but it reminded him of something Oriental as they ate. Not stir-fry, or the typical Chinese take-out; this had shrimp and chicken, water chestnuts and vegetables, and just enough spice to jolt the taste-buds. It was very good.

They talked sporadically as they ate, beginning with the weather – they could see the still-falling snow from the dining room window – and gradually worked around to other topics.

"So what brings an FBI agent out here?" she asked in turn. "Nothing serious, I hope."

"Actually, I was on my way back to DC from my mother's house," Mulder confided. "A gas station attendant told me about this shortcut..." he rolled his eyes. "One of these days I'll learn!"

"Get lost a lot, do you?"

"Not usually, but..." he shrugged.

"What do you do in the FBI?"

"My department investigates unexplained phenomena."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, things like... unexplainable disappearances, sewer monsters, crop circles, UFO sightings... things like that."

"Do _things like that_ happen much, Mr. Mulder? Enough to keep you busy?"

Mulder shook his head slightly, wondering what she'd think if she could see the number of cabinets the X-files took up, not to mention the number of new cases coming in each week. "Anna, you probably wouldn't believe how often. And my friends mostly just call me Mulder."

"You don't like your first name, do you?" she asked with a grin. When he looked up, surprised, she said, "You emphasized 'friends' when you said that. Do I take it you hate to be called Fox?"

"_You_ may call me anything you'd like," he answered, smiling.

"Just because I fed you, right?" she teased, and he laughed. "What does your partner call you?"

"She calls me Mulder."

"Your partner is a woman?" Anna asked in surprise. "Are there many female agents?"

"No, there aren't. Scully is...exceptional. She was a forensic pathologist at Quantico before she was assigned to field duty as my partner. She deals with things that would make a Marine faint and has pulled my butt out of the fire more times than I care to remember." Anna waited, but Mulder didn't say any more than that and she got the impression he didn't want to talk about work or his partner. She smoothly changed the subject.

He helped her with the dishes, over her protests. Single men who couldn't cook, he told her, learned to ingratiate themselves with friends who could. She laughed, as he'd meant her to. The bottle of wine they'd started before dinner was empty, so when Anna put away the leftovers she pulled another bottle from the fridge. She handed the wine and a corkscrew to Mulder for him to open it while she finished loading the dishwasher.

Mulder hesitated, bottle in hand. He'd already had more to drink than he normally allowed himself. In this particular area he tended to err on the far side of caution, memories from his childhood still being painfully clear. Anna obviously wanted him to open this bottle... His internal debate didn't last long. With the meal, too, what he'd drunk so far wasn't affecting him, so what the hell. When in Rome... He deftly uncorked the bottle and laid the corkscrew on the counter.

The electricity blinked off and on, bringing the storm back to their immediate attention. It was still snowing steadily and the wind was picking up. Mulder's footprints on the porch steps were no longer visible. When the lights flickered again Anna took two large antique oil lamps from a cabinet in the kitchen and carried them into the living room. Mulder followed with the wine and glasses.

"The furnace in this place is electric, unfortunately," Anna was saying as she sat the lamps on the end-table, "but the fireplace was built for heating and can keep most of the house fairly warm. Usually, anyway. If it gets so cold it can't keep up, we can close off the other rooms and just heat this one." Mulder started to ask, but she forestalled him with a grin. "And the wood is stacked in the garage, so no one has to chance freezing to fetch it."

"Smart lady," Mulder murmured, refilling her wineglass and handing it to her. As he bent to set the bottle on the table his eye caught on a canvas bag tucked out of the way next to a comfortable chair. It was obviously a bag of gifts she'd received that morning. Visible jumbled in the top of the bag were several paperbacks, two movies...and two boxes of puzzles.

Anna had been watching him look around, and followed his gaze to see what had caught his attention. She grinned. She recognized the look on his face; she had a weakness for puzzles, too. Smiling, she pulled them out of the bag and held them up for him to see.

"Which puzzle shall we work? The waterfall scene -um, it has 500 pieces. Or the whatever-it-is that has 1000?" The second puzzle was a picture of dozens of tiny objects; pennies, troll dolls, rubber bands, ticket stubs and other assorted odd trinkets, all dumped together on a plain white background. It would be a real challenge to put together. Mulder told her to choose, but Anna had seen the glint in his eyes. The waterfall puzzle went back into the bag.

The electricity flickered again, then went out and stayed out. Without the light from the Christmas tree it was considerably darker. After a moment, though, Mulder's eyes adjusted enough for him to locate the box of fireplace matches he'd seen on the mantle. He used one to light the oil lamps.

"Well, this is typical timing," he said dryly. "Now it's too dark to see the puzzle."

"Not necessarily," Anna disagreed. "Between the lamps and the fire there's almost as much light as before. If we sit here we can still see. The best light will be in front of the fire," she went on. "I have a card table we can put up..."

"Let's just sit on the floor." Mulder interrupted. "If you don't mind, I mean. We could just pull this rug back a little and there will be plenty of room in front of the hearth for the puzzle."

"Sounds good to me."

Anna dug behind the sofa and pulled out several large pillows that had seen better days, dropping them on the floor. While Mulder pulled the rug back, she used a metal nail file to break the seal on the puzzle box. They settled themselves comfortably then Anna dumped the puzzle pieces onto the floor between them. Mulder startled her when he took the box lid and tossed it behind the couch. When she looked at him he explained "That way we can't look at the picture and cheat."

They argued good-naturedly over who got which of the flat-sided pieces that formed the 'frame' of the puzzle, both knowing it was the easiest part of the puzzle to solve. There was a comfortable silence as they both fitted a few pieces together. When Mulder reached to put a piece into the section Anna was working on, though, she smacked his hand and pushed another piece toward him. "Here. This piece goes right there where your thumb is."

"Hey, who's the expert puzzle-solver here, anyway?" he objected. He chuckled when she retorted, "I am!"

That seemed to set the tone. From there it degenerated into a contest of who could find the most fits, especially on the other's side of the puzzle. They constantly found themselves reaching for the same pieces at the same time. In very short order the frame was completed and the silences lengthened.

Mulder could have worked faster if he'd wanted, his gifted memory gave him an unfair advantage. But he was enjoying the relaxed time with Anna and didn't want to cut it short. The firelight glinted off her hair, and he wondered what she'd done to it to make it kinky like that.

"This is a nice house," he said idly. "How long have you lived here?"

"I grew up here," Anna said.

"You never left?"

She laughed. "Of course I did. I had to test my wings, I guess. I moved to New York for a while, but when my parents died a few years ago I came back."

"You're young to have lost both your parents. Were they older?" Mulder asked. He doubted Anna was over twenty-five.

"No, it was an accident. A small plane crash, no survivors. My sister was with them, unfortunately." She took a deep breath, and Mulder felt guilty.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, that's okay. Like I said, it's been years." She smiled slightly. "Actually, I was thinking about them right before you rang the doorbell. I couldn't imagine who would be out here in this storm."

"You do live a long way from everything. It must make for a long commute to work."

"It would, but I work at home." Anna took advantage of his momentary distraction to slip a piece into Mulder's side of the puzzle, making him frown. "I'm a freelance illustrator."

"Do you do children's books, things like that?" Mulder asked.

"Sometimes," Anna replied, then frowned herself when Mulder's fingers beat hers to the piece she wanted. "I've done a few. But usually I do cover art for science fiction and fantasy books. They're more fun. I get to let my imagination go."

Mulder's attention was caught. "You draw aliens for a living?"

Anna grinned at the incredulous look on his face. "Aliens, and dragons, and centaurs, to name a few. What, you don't believe me?" He had the oddest smile on his face... "Want to see some of my work?"

"Are you inviting me up to see your _etchings_?" he asked with a grin. Anna answered without missing a beat.

"Not yet - maybe later. Now, Fox, do you want to see my paintings or not?"

"I'd love to."

Mulder got up and helped Anna to her feet. She picked up one of the oil lamps and crossed the room to a painting on the wall, Mulder following with the other lamp.

"This was the first book cover I was ever commissioned to do. Mom had it framed and hung it in here, even though it clashes with the rest of the room." She held the lamp up to illuminate a scene from a fantasy, a centaur with a sword battling a dragon. The colors were vivid and varied, the dragon itself multicolored and iridescent, and the trees and grass were of colors not normal to Earth. Mulder found himself grinning at the scene on canvas. "It was the author's first book and it didn't sell very well, but he and the publisher both liked my work. Once my foot was in the door, so to speak, I was able to land more commissions. I've been a freelance artist for nearly seven years now."

"I'll bet it's great to be your own boss," Mulder murmured, still smiling slightly, "but who do you yell at when things go wrong?"

Anna laughed. "Well, it does have its downside! It gets lonely. Sometimes it would really be nice to have someone to talk to while I'm working."

"Where do you work? Do you have a studio here?"

"Funny you should ask...!" Anna led the way down the dark hall to a door at the end. Instead of the room Mulder expected, it opened onto a steep stairway. A cold draft drifted down from above. "This house has a big attic, but when I was a kid it was only used for junk. My sister and I played up here on rainy days. When I moved back here I needed a place to work, so I cleaned it out and had skylights put in. It's a great place to paint."

The stairwell was narrow, and halfway up it turned back on itself to come up into the attic. Stepping out onto the attic floor behind Anna, Mulder paused to look around. Even in the dark the spacious room seemed clean and airy. Large, snow-covered skylights were spaced along the slanted ceiling between conventional lighting fixtures. The oil lamps cast flickering light over an easel holding a large canvas, a small table covered with paints and jars of brushes, and a desk nearly as cluttered as Mulder's own. A big slant-top drafting table sat further back. Paintings, finished and unfinished, were stacked along the edges of the floor on both ends of the attic, and more were hanging on the walls.

Anna held her lamp higher and led the way to the drafting table. "These are for a children's book. I don't do many of these anymore. The painting downstairs...? That author's daughter wrote this story. It's a re-telling of an ancient Irish folk tale, complete with leprechauns and fairies." She smiled at the tall agent as he bent to look at the drawings. "I couldn't pass it up, it was right up my alley!"

Mulder was surprised at the way the drawings portrayed leprechauns. "She seems to be pretty accurate. Not many people realize leprechauns weren't nice characters."

Anna looked at him in surprise. "How did you know?" she asked.

"I have a fascination with myths and legends and an eidetic memory. I read a lot of books on the subjects and my memory just sort of files the information away. It comes in handy sometimes."

"I bet," she agreed. "A memory like that could be very useful. Now me, I have an awful memory. I know there are at least fifty things - erasers, brushes, sketches, and one painting that I know of - in this room that I've put away and never found again." She waved a hand and knocked over a can full of colored pencils, sending them bouncing across the floor. Cringing, she added, "I also put things aside and forget to put them away!"

Mulder bent to help pick up the scattered pencils but Anna waved him away. "Go ahead and look around if you want, it's getting too cold to stay up here very long. I'll get these. If I miss any I can pick them up later." He hesitated, and she made another shooing gesture.

Standing up and stepping carefully, Mulder made his way over to the wall where several finished canvases were hanging. He had to grin at a couple of them. Anna really had a wild imagination! Others were of 'traditional' alien forms. One painting he recognized as the cover of a book he'd bought to read last year during a long airport layover. As he moved on around the room he found another group of fantasy scenes. One was some sort of spell-weaving magician. Another seemed to be a war between humans and humanoid cat-people. Further down he found more 'alien' paintings, some that raised the hair on the back of his neck...aliens with human captives, a few of which seemed eerily familiar.

"Anna?" he called across the room. "Do you believe in the existence of extra-terrestrial life?"

"Of course I do. Ow!" Mulder heard the faint thud and turned to see her straightening from under the table, rubbing the back of her head. "It would be pretty arrogant to think that among the millions of stars and all their planets that ours is the only one hosting life. Even intelligent life. Don't you think?" She picked up her lamp and crossed the room to where Mulder stood by the stairs.

"I've seen too many unexplainable things not to believe in the possibility," he said as they started down.

"Ooh, that's right, you said your department investigated UFO sightings. Have you ever seen a UFO?"

They'd reached the hall again. Mulder frowned slightly, not quite sure if Anna was asking seriously or if she was being sarcastic.

"You could say that," he said slowly, thinking of the ship he'd seen cruising over the abandoned mine where the mysterious files had been stored. "I've seen things flying that defied gravity and made no noise. That changed directions at impossible angles without slowing..."

Anna stopped in front of him so suddenly he nearly ran into her, and he had to use his other hand to steady the teetering lamp chimney. The glass was uncomfortably hot, and he absently stuck his scorched fingers in his mouth.

"Are you serious?" Anna was asking as she turned to face him. "You've really seen a UFO?"

Mulder pulled his hand away from his mouth, but Anna didn't give him a chance to answer. Instead, she grabbed his elbow and hurried him back into the living room. "This I've got to hear about! You can tell me about it, can't you? They're not classified or anything?"

"Not as far as I know. Usually I get accused of seeing things. Not many people believe me when I tell them what I saw."

"Your partner believes you, though, doesn't she?"

_How do I explain this?_ he wondered. "Scully believes I saw _something_... She's seen some of them, too. She just thinks there has to be a more **rational** explanation for them than alien spacecraft." _Or aliens. Or ghosts, or mutants... _ Anna was looking at him too closely and he mentally changed gears, launching into retelling some of the odd, unexplainable things he'd seen over the years.

Anna listened with interest as he spoke, but part of her mind was still on his earlier expression. _It hurts him,_ she realized, _that even his partner didn't always believe._

They settled back onto the floor pillows and absently resumed working on the puzzle as they talked. They took turns telling work stories, Anna's having to do with mundane problems- temperamental authors and impossible deadlines, shipping mix-ups and workroom disasters. Mulder was making her laugh with a story about a town going hysterical _en masse_ over an apparent invasion of killer cockroaches. Anna was sure he was making it up as he went along, but he swore it was true... She thought she had him when he got to the part where a building full of animal dung blew up, raining crap down on everything and everyone nearby, including Mulder and his partner.

"You made that up!" she laughingly accused, turning towards him. The laughter trailed away when she found herself much closer to him than she'd thought. They'd shifted as they worked on the puzzle, ending up lying side by side on their stomachs with their elbows propped on the pillows.

Mulder had turned, too, and they found themselves face to face, scant inches apart. His grin faded and he leaned closer, touching his lips to hers. Almost as soon as the kiss began Mulder pulled back, looking... startled?

"I'm sorry," he began, but she interrupted.

"Don't be," she said with a shy smile. "I'm not."

A smile ghosted across his face, then he sobered. "Anna, I don't want to start something with you I can't finish. With my work..." She stopped him, her fingertips cool against his lips.

"I understand. You aren't even sure where you'll be from one day to the next." She wondered briefly if he had any idea how much need showed in his shifting hazel eyes right now. "But you're here now... We can have tonight, can't we?"

"It's been a long time." He spoke so softly Anna barely heard him, and his faint smile was twisted. "I'm not sure I remember how."

"Then maybe I can help." The smile she gave him was light, playful. "Um, it's not against the law to seduce an FBI Agent, is it?"

"It depends," Mulder answered with a slow smile of his own, responding to Anna's attempt to lighten the mood. "Are you currently under investigation by the FBI?"

Anna leaned back against her pillow and smoothed her dress, arching her back slightly, drawing the agent's attention to the thrust of her breasts and the curve of her waist. "You mean a criminal investigation?" She watched in fascination as his eyes changed and darkened, traveling the length of her body with a heat she could almost feel. After pretending to consider his question, she answered, "No, I don't think so. At least, not that I'm aware of."

"Then I guess there would be no law against it. Is there a particular reason why you ask?" His voice was changing with arousal, deepening and growing slightly husky.

"Well, I was thinking about doing a little investigating of my own," she murmured confidingly, leaning in a little closer. Her fingertips brushed his jaw, then trailed down to toy with the buttons on his shirt. "I've got a few ideas and I'd like to see where they might lead..." One button opened, then another, and Anna slipped her fingers beneath the fabric to touch his chest. An odd sound escaped his throat, and she smiled.

"I see," Mulder said, clearing his throat. "You've conducted investigations before?"

"Well, no, not on my own. I could probably use a few pointers." Another button slipped and there was room for her hand to explore the patch of hair just below Mulder's collarbone. His hand came up to cover hers, trapping it against his skin beneath his shirt, temporarily halting its wandering.

"Well, I could tell you a little about the way I run my investigations, and see if that would work for you," he murmured.

"I think that sounds like a good idea. Where do you start?"

"When I work I like to start at the beginning- the top, so to speak- and work my way down. Take my time. Be as thorough as possible." Releasing her hand, he reached out and pulled the band from her hair and let it drop among the puzzle pieces. His fingers ran across her hair then into it, threading back to cup her head and draw her to him. "Usually," he continued softly, "if you take a little extra time you find small clues that can make a big difference later on." His voice trailed off as he bent to explore her face with his lips, starting at her forehead, tracing her eyebrows, seeming to linger over her eyes when he discovered she wore no makeup to risk smudging. Down over her cheekbones, across to detour to her ears...finding several spots that made her shiver. Finally he arrived at her mouth and took his time there, too. He was in no hurry.

With his hand gently cupping her face, his mouth explored hers. His lips caressed, pressed her lips into opening for him. His teeth nipped sharply, without warning, and her involuntary gasp let his tongue slip inside. At first he probed, exploring all her secrets, then the angle of his head changed and his tongue began to stroke hers. Long, slow, and soft...

Anna began to burn, her breath growing uneven. Mulder was touching only her face, but her body ached for him already. She moved restlessly, and he finally broke the kiss.

"Are you with me so far?" Mulder asked. His spoke lazily, a hint of laughter in his words, but his voice was rough and his eyes were dark fire. Anna nodded, finding her voice didn't work on the first try.

"Um, yes... Start at the top, be thorough..."

"Leave no stone unturned." Mulder added, then he kissed her again, slow and hot and deep. His hands began to move.

He had large hands, and his touch was not gentle, precisely, but sure. Anna craved more, she wanted all of him, but apparently he could not be rushed. A soft sound of protest escaped her when he released her mouth again and trailed his lips down her throat. One strong, long-fingered hand smoothed the soft knit forward over her shoulder, tracing the line of her collarbone through the fabric until he came to the top button of the dress. Anna realized she was holding her breath and tried to remember to breathe, but Mulder's hand didn't touch the button. Instead, he slid his hand slowly down her breastbone until he reached her breasts. Gently, so lightly she could barely feel it, he let his hand skim over the full curves; once, twice, then he returned to the fastenings at her throat.

"It's not a good idea to jump to obvious conclusions, or to rush anything. You miss things that way," he murmured. His hand wandered again, going upward across her shoulder this time, down along her arm to her fingers, then back up the inside to her elbow. His thumb stroked her there, and even through the sleeve of her dress Anna could feel the caress. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she felt her nipples growing tight. She hadn't realized there was such a sensitive area on her arm, of all places. Obviously the FBI man knew a few things she didn't... She relaxed then, deciding to follow his lead.

"Will I get to do some investigating, too?" she asked. She was close enough to feel the heat of his body, close enough to hear the nearly-silent chuckle rumble in his chest, but their bodies still weren't actually touching.

"Don't be impatient," he chided. "To do a thorough job, you must take one thing at a time."

She subsided obediently and was rewarded with a kiss. Long fingers traced the curve of her jaw and the shape of her ear, then moved down to stroke the side of her neck. Soon, warm lips followed, barely touching the skin. Anna shivered, and felt Mulder smile against her neck. She didn't speak, though, so he continued. Still ignoring the buttons on her dress, his fingers instead stroked the soft knit, finding and tracing the lines of her collarbones, then lower, tracing the barely-perceptible lines of her bra. Her nipples were hard pebbles long before Mulder's fingers got around to brushing over them, but once he found them he lingered until Anna's fists clenched. He relented then, and moved down further.

Anna had had no idea being touched through her clothing could be so erotic, but when Mulder stopped just below her belly-button she nearly moaned in frustration. Instead, she gasped as he finally reached for her buttons.

He kissed her as he undid the buttons- slowly, one by one. After the first few were opened he trailed kisses down her neck, advancing as the cloth retreated. When he reached her bra he detoured, exploring every millimeter of the red stretch lace before finally releasing the front hook and nudging it away. Then he continued with the buttons oh-so-slowly, all the way to the hem. Anna's breath was catching in her chest as he spread the two sides of the dress open wide, baring her to his gaze.

The man still hadn't touched her with anything but his lips and one hand. She could barely think about what was still to come. Already she tingled from head to toe.

Gently Mulder coaxed one arm out of the dress, then murmured instructions in a low, husky voice. "Turn over... This way, towards me. Good, good..." He shifted, easing her onto a pillow where she'd be comfortable on her stomach, then slipping the dress and bra off the other arm. She was bare now except for the scrap of red lace panties that matched her bra, laying face down on a pillow in front of the fireplace. For long minutes nothing happened, and she had to force herself not to squirm. Then she finally felt a hand trail down the middle of her back.

He traced every rib and kissed every bone in his exploration of her back, teasing the mole between her shoulder-blades with his tongue. His hand cupped each buttock gently, then smoothed down the length of the back of her legs before sliding back up the inside. He repeated the journey with his lips, his breath hot on her skin, stopping just short of touching her where she was most wanting him. This time when he stopped she _did_ groan.

Taking pity on her, Mulder let her turn over again.

And started over.

He kissed her mouth, her face, her neck, working his way across her shoulders and down each arm. When he reached her breasts he took his time, exploring their shape before bending his head to kiss and suckle. He learned what made her gasp and moan, just how far he could torture her with his teeth before it became too much. When he raised his head, Anna found she had a death grip on his hair and forced herself to let go. It wasn't long, however, before they were gripping the pillows on either side of her head as Mulder continued his explorations down over her stomach to the edge of the lace.

Anna felt him shift, then his hands drew the panties down and off her legs, leaving her bare. She lost her breath when he gently pushed her legs apart, making room for him to slip between them.

"Never ignore obvious hiding places," he murmured. "Sometimes things are best hidden in plain sight."

Then she felt his breath warm her skin as his mouth descended. At the first touch of his tongue to her most sensitive spot she cried out, forgetting to breathe as he explored. His hands held her thighs apart as he brought her to the very edge with his lips and tongue. Then he stopped, and got to his knees.

Watching through half-closed eyes, Anna followed Mulder's movements as he unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off. When he tugged the knot of the sweatpants drawstring she moved to help, but was pushed back down.

"It's still my investigation," Mulder told her.

Anna could feel his eyes burning on her skin as he watched her. She watched him strip off the pants, unable to turn her eyes away. His erection sprang free, stiffly upright and engorged. He leaned forward slowly, bracing himself on his arms, and lowered himself. He brushed across her body lightly, making her shiver, then settled himself next to her. The heat of him against her chilled skin made her gasp.

"Hang on. This is where it gets hard."

Long, blunt fingers skimmed through the darker blonde curls at the junction of her thighs, lingering over the now-swollen bud, creating new surges of aching need. He teased around her entrance, then without warning, two long fingers stabbed deep into her heat. Anna bucked against him, but her cry was cut off as his mouth took hers. His tongue pushed deep, mimicking the rhythm of his hand. She came hard, then came again before he broke the kiss so she could gasp for air. She was barely aware of him moving over her, registering only the increase in heat and pressure when his rigid manhood took the place of his fingers with scarcely a break in rhythm. He pushed deep, over and over, the insistent pressure making Anna moan with pleasure. He was murmuring something but she couldn't catch it over the sound of her own racing heart.

He was moving, lifting her and shifting to his knees, settling her astride him. He pushed her thighs wider, making her take him deeper. A sob escaped her throat and he groaned, his hands tightening almost painfully on her hips, forcing her to keep pace with him. He kissed her again, savaging her mouth until she was gasping, then bent her backwards to take her breasts. He wasn't gentle. He sucked hard, and used his teeth.

Anna lost track of her orgasms, of time, of everything except sensation, grasping desperately at his shoulders for an anchor. He grew damp with sweat and her fingers curled in an unconscious effort to hold on. Her nails scored his back. He threw his head back with an indrawn hiss, then fell forward with her onto the pile of pillows.

His rhythm speeded; her body rocked with thrusts that might have been painful if she hadn't been so violently aroused. When he gave a last thrust that seemed to go impossibly deep she convulsed against him with a hoarse cry. He went rigid, then shuddered, and she felt the heat deep within as he emptied himself in her.

He collapsed against her heavily, his breathing ragged against her throat. Gradually she became aware of his hands fisted in her hair, and the raw throbbing where he was embedded between her thighs, still hard. Her legs quivered like gelatin and she couldn't feel her feet.

After long minutes he moved, dragging his elbows up to hold most of his weight off her. It also settled him deeper within her, and Anna gasped at the quiver of pleasure it generated. Mulder grinned a little, then kissed her, nipping at her lower lip.

"Stamina can be an important factor in some investigations," he continued in a voice markedly hoarse. "An agent should try to keep in shape." He withdrew slightly and pushed slowly back in, sending lightning rippling through her again. Once, twice more he thrust, then he withdrew slowly, completely, making her cry out with frustration.

"You should always look at things from all possible angles," he said.

He rolled her over and dragged her hips up until her knees were under her, then slid deep into her from behind. Nudging her knees apart with his own to open her to him fully, he slowly thrust against her. His hands smoothed over her back to her hips, then caressed and squeezed her buttocks. One finger caressed where they were joined, massaging the soft, stretched taunt skin and spreading her wetness, then teasing the tight, sensitive rose of her anus until she bucked against him.

He relented then, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around her and raising her to an almost sitting position, still impaled on his erection. He just held her, her back to his chest, for a long moment. Then one large hand spread across her belly until his fingers grazed the crease hidden in her curls. She moved against him and he moaned low in his chest. He leaned back slightly, moving only his fingers, and let her move on him. Faster and faster she moved, until she was pounding herself against him. The sounds coming from her throat sounded as if she was in pain, but still she writhed against him. Finally she lost her balance and fell forward, dragging him with her. Her inner muscles were squeezing him in frantic rhythm and he could wait no longer. With a last thrust he came, the sounds of his pleasure mixing with Anna's breathless scream.

…xXx…xXx…xXx…

They must have slept, for it was noticeably cooler in the room when they stirred again. The fire had died down and the cold outside was working its way into the house.

Reluctantly they untangled themselves and got up, pulling clothes back on against the chill. Mulder went to the garage for firewood and Anna went to gather bedding. It was already too cold in the bedrooms to sleep comfortably, so she hauled out pillows and quilts and blankets, closing the doors behind her. While Mulder coaxed the fire back to life, Anna hung old quilts on nails over the dining room and kitchen doors as she'd seen her mother do many times. It looked a little strange, but it would keep the living room warmer. Smiling to herself, she turned to pull the seat cushions off the sofa-bed. Mulder finished what he was doing and came to unfold it for her, grinning when he saw the quilt-covered doorways.

"I take it power outages are not unusual here?"

"No, we had them all the time when I was a kid. There haven't been so many lately, but I still keep things on hand." She made quick work of the sheets and Mulder lent a hand with the blankets. Tossing the pillows in the right general direction, she stepped back. "I've got the munchies- I'll be right back." she said, and disappeared into the kitchen.

Mulder followed her to the door, but she hadn't taken a lamp and he couldn't see in the dark room. "Is there something I can help with?" he called into the darkness.

"Just a minute..." A match flared and Anna lit a small candle on the countertop. By its tiny flickering light she pulled something from a cabinet and filled it with water at the sink. "Here, you can put this near the fire to heat." An old-fashioned cast-iron kettle was thrust into his hands, and he obediently went to tuck it in the coals. By the time he had it situated, Anna was coming out of the kitchen balancing a foil-covered tray, two coffee mugs, a box of instant hot chocolate mix, and a glass jug of something dark red.

The box was sliding off the top of the tray when she reached the fireplace. Mulder caught it, then reached up to take the tray so she could sit down. She paused first to loosen the cap on the glass jug and sit it to one side of the hearth, then sat cross-legged next to him.

"Where did all **this** come from?" Mulder asked as she pulled the foil off the tray. It was a big tray with divided sections, and every section was full. There was sliced turkey, dinner rolls, and lots of 'nibble' food – baby carrots, black olives, dark green pickles that looked homemade...

"I had an early Christmas dinner with friends. They don't like leftovers and always cook too much, so everyone gets sent home with a tray for later."

"Comes in handy for midnight snacks," he said, then checked his watch. "Oops, I guess we're a little early!" Anna laughed and snagged his wrist to check for herself. It was 11:21.

They ate turkey on rolls and talked idly, Mulder asking about the friends and their dinner. The awkward tension from earlier was gone now, and conversation was easy. Mulder teased Anna about not touching the raw broccoli on the tray, then laughed when she told him - deadpan - that she never ate anything that looked like a tree. Then Anna laughed and beat on his back helpfully when Mulder nearly choked on his first taste of the sweet pickles.

"Oh, I should have warned you about Brenna's pickles," she admitted when he got his breath back. "She uses her grandmother's recipe and it has way too many cloves in it! Are you okay?"

"I think I'll live." Mulder took an experimental breath and let it out. "These pickles need warning labels." She laughed again, then shook her head when he reached for another one.

Anna leaned forward to gingerly touch the glass jug near the fire, then let her fingers hover over the kettle. "These are both pretty warm. Which sounds better to you, hot cocoa or hot spiced wine?"

"The wine, please. It smells wonderful." He watched her as she poured the warmed wine into the mugs. The quilt she'd had around her shoulders kept slipping to the floor. She handed him a mug then wiggled around trying to get the quilt fixed without spilling her own wine. After a moment Mulder leaned forward and took her mug, sitting both it and his own on the hearth, then hauled Anna into his lap. He folded the quilt around her and tucked it in at her feet, then handed back her wine. "Better?"

"Mmm," she murmured, curling against his chest. She could hear his heart beating strong and steady, and the feel of his arms around her was warming her more than the wine she sipped. A comfortable silence enveloped them.

She barely noticed some time later when he took her empty mug.

"Are you falling asleep on me?" asked Mulder in an amused tone.

"Not on purpose," she blinked up at him, smiling, "but this feels so good..." Anna sighed and rubbed her forehead against his neck. For a moment his arms tightened, and she felt his cheek against her hair.

"I agree… except for this floor. How about if we move this somewhere a little softer?"

Anna giggled. "The sofa-bed is all made up," she said.

"Sounds good to me."

They stirred, but Anna needed Mulder's help to get untangled and on her feet. As he stood and stretched she began to pick up the remains of their meal. The fire was burning low again, he noticed.

"I'll get some more wood."

Anna carried everything back into the kitchen and set it on the counter. It was about the same temperature in the room as a normal refrigerator, she decided, if not a little colder. No need to worry about anything spoiling tonight! Just in case it got cold enough to freeze the pipes, she left the sink taps trickling.

In the living room she could hear as Mulder stirred the fire and added new splits. The new wood crackled and hissed as it caught, then settled down to burn steadily, scenting the air with apple-wood smoke. She heard the door and realized Mulder was making another trip to the garage. She decided to venture back into her frigid bathroom, making it as quick a trip as possible because of the cold. She left the water running there, too, as she left with her candle. A faint glow and the sound of running water came from the guest bath. The bathroom door opened just as she reached the bedroom door.

"I left water running in the other faucets," she called softly to Mulder as he stepped out. "It's getting cold and I'm afraid the pipes might freeze." He nodded and stepped back to turn those on, too.

"The wind's stopped howling, did you notice?" he asked back in the living room. They found a window that wasn't frost-covered and looked out. There was probably a good eighteen inches of snow on the ground but at least it was no longer falling. The clouds were clearing and the moon was peeking through, making the snow sparkle. It looked like a Christmas card scene. Beautiful, - but cold.

Anna headed back toward the fireplace, shivering. Mulder followed, pausing to put something on the end-table next to the sofa-bed. Things, plural, she noticed - his gun and his cellphone. He did it almost absentmindedly. Obviously it was normal for him to keep both items within reach. Shaking her head in bemusement, Anna started to pull back the covers, then stopped. Mulder had been reaching to help and looked up to see what was the matter. She was looking down at her dress, frowning.

"I should have gotten something else to sleep in while I was in the bedroom," she explained when she noticed his look. "I don't want to sleep in this dress."

"So don't. Take it off." His eyes were warm and his grin suggestive. "I'll keep you warm."

Grinning back at him, she stripped the dress off and dropped it to the floor. She slid into the bed and gave a soft shriek.

"Jeez, the sheets are cold!"

Mulder laughed. "Oh, good, you're warming them up!" He dodged the pillow she threw, then made a quick circuit of the room to blow out the lamps and candles, double-checking to make sure the fireplace screen was closed. He was reaching for the buttons on his shirt when he turned back toward the bed.

"Now, now, none of that," Anna chided. She knelt at the edge of the mattress, waiting for him to reach her. When he stopped in front of her she pushed his hands away from the buttons and replaced them with her own. "If I remember correctly, you said my turn would come later. Well, it's later. Now it's my turn."

She used the collar of his shirt to pull him onto the sofa bed, and Mulder obediently let her push him over onto his back. He smiled up at her as she leaned over him, her eyes twinkling.

"Why do I get the feeling I should be worried?" he asked.

"Shh, I'm trying to remember my lesson…" She stopped his next words with her fingers, then bent to kiss his lips. It was a light, teasing butterfly kiss, though, over far too soon. Mulder tried to follow her up as she raised her head, but she pushed him back down. He tried to reach for her but she caught his hands and pushed them down on either side of his head.

"You don't take directions well, do you, Fox?" she chided. "It's _**my**_ turn." Mulder subsided, grimacing.

"I knew it. You're going to torture me."

Anna giggled and moved to sit astride him, leaning over to scatter more teasing kisses across his face. "You betcha," she promised softly against his lips. "I'm a fast learner."

And she was, Mulder discovered. She used his own methods against him, exploring him thoroughly from the top of his head down to the soles of his feet, ignoring the more obvious male erogenous zones. She found the sensitive areas on his neck that made him squirm and experimented with kisses, tongue, and nipping teeth, finding the best combination to make him wild.

Unbuttoning his shirt and sliding it off him, she found some unexpected places were sensitive – the backs of his hands, for one, and the hollow just beneath his collarbone. She toyed with his flat brown nipples, fascinated that they puckered and hardened.

Mulder groaned, shifting beneath her, and she raised up to watch him. She watched his expression change as she slid backwards, lowering herself slowly onto his pelvis. She could feel his erection beneath her easily – he was hard as a rock – and the heat was palpable even through the fleece and lace still separating them. He rocked up against her and she moved on him slowly, watching his hands clench and his breathing change.

"You like that, don't you," she murmured. Her answer was a moan and he reached for her again. Again, she caught his hands and put them back on the pillows. "Not yet, Mulder. It's still my turn."

She continued to move against him slowly, stroking his chest with her hands and watching his face. She felt him grow even harder, watched a flush creep into his cheeks, felt herself grow wet with wanting. The she stopped, and Mulder groaned as if in pain.

Moving to kneel between Mulder's thighs, she bent to kiss her way down his belly to the waistband of his sweatpants, exploring his bellybutton on the way. She pulled the string tie open with her teeth, looking up to find Mulder watching her. His eyes were barely open, and they were so dark they looked black.

She grinned at him, then pushed the waistband down a scant inch, bending to kiss all along the newly exposed skin before lowering them another bit. She repeated this several times, until she was nearly where Mulder most wanted her. She could feel him straining to coax her closer. She pulled back and slid the pants down over his thighs and all the way off. His erection was free now, and stood rigidly away from his body, dark and swollen. It twitched slightly in time with the pounding of his heart.

Anna wanted to touch him, but there was still the undiscovered territory of his bare legs to explore…"leave no stone unturned" after all. So she bypassed his groin and stroked her way down his thighs, explored his toes, nipped at his ankles. Briefly she entertained the idea of asking him to turn over so she could explore his delectable tush in detail, but one look at him laid out for her pleasure, so to speak, changed her mind. She didn't want to push Mulder too far over the edge and ruin it. Besides, she couldn't wait any more.

She slid up his legs to the juncture of his thighs, reaching out to stroke the soft skin between his legs. The sack was cool to her touch, and she gently kneaded it, feeling the testicles. Then at last she reached for him.

He was so hot... Her fingers barely met as she wrapped her hand around him, sliding it up the satiny length. He gasped, bucking against her hand, and she soothed him, her other hand rubbing up and down his belly. She explored the shape and texture, fingering the velvety skin of the head. So soft, but so hard… She bent to taste him, and a rough sound of pleasure escaped Mulder's chest. Smiling against his skin, she scattered kisses over him, then took him into her mouth. Mulder jerked against her as if he'd been jolted by electric current, and she felt his hands curl into her hair. He didn't try to press her, though, as she had half expected – he just held on. She suckled him, taking him deeper into her mouth then sliding up, and felt him begin to shake.

"No," he gasped, his hands trembling as he pulled her head away. "No more, please… I– I need to be inside you…"

Anna caught his urgency and moved over him, guiding him into her. As she sank down he caught her around the waist and twisted, taking her down and rolling her underneath him. He kissed her urgently, as if he couldn't get enough, but when he finally started to move it was slowly. Long, slow strokes that just kept building the tension until Anna was ready to go crazy for release. She arched against him urgently but he kept the slow pace until suddenly he went rigid and she felt him shudder as his orgasm overtook him. On and on she felt him spasm, and the fluttering heat deep inside set off her own release, taking her by surprise.

Exhausted, Mulder managed to shift just enough to take his weight off Anna. She curled up against him, and both were asleep before their breathing returned to normal.

…xXx…xXx…xXx…

Mulder slept only in short snatches through the rest of the night, although when he did sleep it was without dreams. Small things would wake him; Anna twitching in her sleep, a log falling in the grate. Once he slipped out of bed just to check that she hadn't left any other candles burning anywhere. Another time he got up to add wood to the fire and double check the screen again. Maybe he'd have slept better if the fireplace had been glassed in. Sleeping near what was essentially an open flame was not very comfortable for him.

The next time he woke, the night was fading into the purple of approaching dawn. The fire was nearly down to coals again but the room wasn't cold. Mulder propped his head on one arm and watched Anna sleep. The room was still dark, her face mostly in shadow, but the light from the fire glittered on her hair. It was quite a while before he noticed he could see the gleam of her eyes through her lashes.

"Are you awake?" he murmured softly, smiling.

"I haven't decided yet." Anna's voice was like the rest of her, soft and sleepy. "If I dreamed you I don't want to wake up yet."

"If you dreamed me, would I remember it?" Mulder teased.

Anne's eyes opened a little more. "That's too philosophical a question for this early in the morning," she complained. She studied his face for a moment, then said, "You didn't sleep much last night."

Mulder was a little disconcerted. He hadn't thought he'd disturbed her when he had gotten up on his nocturnal prowls. "As much as I ever do, actually. Did I wake you?"

"Not really," she shook her head. "I just... noticed. You checked the fire a lot. It bothered you."

She said it as a statement, not a question, Mulder realized. She knew.

"I'm pyrophobic," he admitted. "Not as bad as I used to be, but..."

"I was, too," she said with an understanding smile. She stirred, pulling at a slender chain around her neck, untangling the pendant from her hair. "I'd like for you to have this. I know it's a little silly, but it always helped me." A small gold charm dangled from the chain she held out. A phoenix. The bird of fire that rose from his own ashes.

"I can't take this," Mulder protested, even as Anna slipped the chain over his head.

"Yes, you can. Consider it a Christmas gift, if you like. Or," she paused to look at the lightening window, "since it's morning-" There was warmth in her eyes as well as a smile on her lips when she turned back to him. "Since it's morning, consider it a thank-you for seeing me safely through Christmas night."

She stopped his next protest with her lips. Mulder quickly changed his mind about arguing, and sank down to thank her in his own way.

…xXx…xXx…xXx…

The sun was peeking over the horizon when a soft chirping woke Anna again. She stirred, and opened her eyes to see Mulder answering his cellphone. She curled around the pillow he'd slept on as she watched him talk. He was dressed, clean-shaven, and she suspected from his damp hair that he'd showered even though without power there was no hot water. He was wearing his own clothes, carrying his jacket, his tie hanging loose around the neck of his slightly rumpled shirt. Anna thought she'd never seen anyone sexier. Noticing she was awake, he sat down beside her on the bed, his smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.

"...okay...thanks," he said into the phone, then pressed disconnect. "Good morning again," he said as he leaned down to kiss her. He smelled cleanly of soap and tasted faintly of mint. Anna wished he wasn't dressed yet.

"Was the call about your car?" she asked when she could think again.

"Yeah. The highway's been plowed and the tow truck has the car out of the drift."

"Do you want me to drive you back to the crossroads?" she asked, pulling the sheet around her as she sat up. Mulder smiled and shook his head, reaching for a loose quilt and wrapping it around her.

"No, that's okay. This road isn't cleared yet and I'd rather not make you get out in it. It's barely below freezing this morning and the wind isn't blowing. I'll be fine walking." He paused, frowning slightly. "I'd feel better if your power was back on before I left."

No sooner than the words left his mouth, there was a series of clicks and a hum, and the stereo began playing softly. Anna laughed at his expression. "From your lips to God's ear, Fox Mulder!"

Mulder shook his head and chuckled. "If only that were true," he wished aloud. He searched through the pockets of his jacket until he found a pen and a card, and began to write. It was one of his cards with his FBI office number on it, and he added his cell and home numbers, as well as his address, before handing it to Anna. "I've got to go now," he said as he pushed himself to his feet, "but I'd like to hear from you again."

"I'd like that, too." Anna agreed.

Mulder smiled again and started for the door, putting his suit jacket on. Anna climbed off the bed, drawing the quilt around her more securely, and followed him. He was pulling his coat on in the entry but hesitated when he saw her.

"I don't feel right leaving like this," he admitted finally. His arms closed around Anna instinctively when she hugged him.

"I'll be fine, Mulder. We both know you have to go. I'm just glad I was here for you last night." She pushed away slightly to look up at his face. "Thank you for last night."

Mulder's arms tightened and he bent to kiss her one last time, long and tenderly with a hint of sadness; a lovers' farewell.

He looked back once, from the end of the driveway. Anna was still standing in the doorway, the quilt slipping from one bare shoulder as she raised a hand to wave good-bye.

…xXx…xXx…xXx…

With the light of day and the absence of wind, the walk back to his car hadn't seemed nearly so long as it had the night before. His car was clear of the drift now, and the rest of the road had been scraped nearly clean by the plows. The thin layer of snow that was left was beginning to melt in the sun.

Half an hour later Mulder drove into a small town, stopping at a convenience store to get some coffee. As he headed back to his car he noticed a shopkeeper across the street unlocking his door. Ten o'clock on Saturday, and even if it was the day after Christmas the stores were opening. His eyes traveled down the block, catching on a small jewelry store window. Almost without conscious thought he changed direction.

It took an hour and three stores to find what he wanted, but Mulder left the town the same way he'd come with a satisfied smile on his face and a small jeweler's bag in his pocket. Inside it was another phoenix pendant, this one red enamel on gold with a tiny jeweled eye.

…xXx…xXx…xXx…

Mulder drove slowly down the partially cleared road looking for Anna's house. When he finally spotted the driveway he got a strange feeling; by the time he reached it the hair on the back of his neck was standing up. The house - there was no house. All that remained was a burned-out shell, long cold, covered in a thick blanket of snow.

For long minutes Mulder sat motionless, disbelieving. He reached inside his shirt and drew out the gold pendant, breathing an unconscious sigh of relief when it was still there. With one hand clasped around it he got out of the car, but then couldn't make himself walk closer to the ruin.

He wanted to think it was the wrong place, but he knew it wasn't. He could see the Christmas lights hanging on the section of wall still standing, the familiar stone of the fireplace...and his own footprints headed down the drive.

He was still standing in the same spot some time later when a snowplow stopped at the end of the driveway.

"Hey, there! Are you okay?" called the friendly driver, hopping down from his cab.

"I'm not sure," Mulder admitted. "What happened here?"

"Terrible shame, that fire. The neighbors thought it must have been some kind of explosion, it went up awfully fast. The woman that lived there, one of the Leones...she didn't get out."

Mulder felt his insides turn to ice, but he had to ask. "When did it happen?"

The driver pulled off his cap to scratch his head. "I was on the volunteer fire department then, I'll never forget it. Happened Christmas night, five years ago."

_Five years..._ But he'd left her only this morning!

"...you gonna be okay? I need to get going, we have more roads than we do plows to plow them with..."

"I'm okay," Mulder said. "I guess I'll be going, too." But he was still standing there when the snowplow was out of sight.

He couldn't leave, not yet. There was something he had to do first.

He made his way across the porch, into the rubble of what had been a house, picking his way slowly. He avoided the charred skeleton of a closed sofa-bed, and finally stopped just short of the hearth. Eyes trained to catch tiny details couldn't miss the faded marks where a body had once been found. Dropping slowly into a crouch, he closed his eyes to the devastation and pictured Anna as he'd last seen her.

"I don't know how this happened, Anna," he said almost to himself, "but I'm glad we met. I'm glad we had last night."

He didn't know how much time passed before he made his way back to the car. He got in and started it, then paused to finger the gold amulet before tucking it back in his shirt, out of sight. One last, long look at the cold ruin, then he put the car in reverse.

From a broken stone in the fireplace the red phoenix swung gently, jeweled eye winking brightly in the sun.

…xXx…xXx…xXx…

"...Mulder?" He looked up from his desk in the dim basement office as Scully walked in. "You're in early this morning. Did you have a nice Christmas with your mother?"

"So-so," Mulder said as she hung up her coat. He was in his shirtsleeves, the basement was unusually warm this morning. "I ended up starting home Christmas night."

"_Starting_ home? In all that snow? What happened?" she inquired.

"I took what was supposed to be a shortcut and got stuck in the snow," he admitted.

Scully started to grin and Mulder pointed a mock-threatening finger at her.

"Don't even say it!"

She shook her head and pretended to bite her tongue, making him smile. Then he stood up and turned to replace some files in the cabinet. Behind him, Scully's eyes narrowed on his back.

"Looks like you met _someone_ interesting while you were stranded," she observed, moving up behind him and lightly tracing a scratch visible through the back of his shirt. Mulder turned with a file in his hand, an odd, faraway expression on his face.

"You could say that, yes," he said, handing her a photo from the file. "This is Anna Leone, the _interesting_ woman I met Christmas night. I spent the night at her house." The look on Scully's face said, _And in her bed-._ Then she seemed to realize what he'd handed her.

"She's an X-File?" Scully asked in surprise, looking at the photo.

"Of a sort. An unexplainable explosion and fire. Arson investigators were unable to find a cause for it. Anna was a self-employed artist, but she worked in watercolors, colored pencil, and water-soluble acrylics. No paint thinners or oils. And the house was all electric except for the fireplace, there were no gas heaters. There were oil lamps, but lamp oil won't cause an explosion."

"So what happened?"

"We'll probably never know. According to the reports, after the fire five years ago on Christmas night a body was found in the ashes. It was positively identified as Anna Leone. She died in the fire."

Scully looked up, startled. "Then how...?"

Mulder took the photo and looked at it for a long moment before replacing it in the file, then put the file back in the cabinet. When he turned back around he was wearing an expression Scully had seen before, intent to the point of sadness. If the look in his eyes was a little more haunted than usual, well, the half-smile playing around his lips offset it a bit.

"One day, " he murmured almost to himself, "_Some_day I'll find the answers. But for now... I just don't know."

…xXx…xXx…xXx…The End…xXx…xXx…xXx…


End file.
